York City's longest-serving player Lee Bullock was today celebrating his 'best moment' at the club.

Bullock, 22, made his City debut in 1998 and has witnessed all the off-field problems that have dogged the Minstermen over those years.

The Stockton-born midfielder, who has attracted First Division transfer interest from Cardiff City this season, also admitted that today's news that the club will be staying at Bootham Crescent could change his situation.

He said: "This is possibly the best moment since I have been at the club.

"There's been times we have all thought there was no longer going to be a York City and now today we have found out it's going to go on for a long, long time to come.

"It's fantastic news. I have seen a lot of managers and chairmen come and go but this board is the best there's ever been in relation to talking to players and getting involved.

"You feel like they are friends whereas before you did not dare approach them. It's just a much better atmosphere.

"It just shows all the hard work that the board have put in starting basically with the fans and the bucket collections which got everything rolling down to people like Jason and Sophie McGill. They have just worked tirelessly.

When asked whether the news affects Bullock's future at Bootham Crescent, the club's second leading scorer this season replied: "Of course it changes things.

"We know there's going to be a club here now whereas before maybe I was thinking we have not got a home and I have to look elsewhere for the future.

"But now there's a definite bright future here and who knows where the club can go?"

Bullock's fellow midfielder Darren Dunning echoed his team-mate's praise for the board and added he is hoping to soon discuss committing his future to the club.

He also admitted that he was relieved the Minstermen would not be relocating to Huntington Stadium.

Dunning said: "The lads are absolutely ecstatic. If we had had to go to Huntington it would have meant sharing with other people like the rugby club and the pitch would have got messed up.

"Now we know we are staying at Bootham Crescent we can plan forward and plough on."

City boss Chris Brass was only able to offer Dunning a one-year deal after he was released by Blackburn Rovers in the summer but the 23-year-old midfielder is now hoping to extend his Bootham Crescent career.

He said: "Of course, I would like to stay. I have absolutely loved it here since I signed."

Brass will now need to discuss every senior player's contract - are all up for renewal this summer - but Dunning added the players have not been unsettled by not being able to discuss plans for next season.

He said: "It has not really affected us because all the players in the squad were up at the end of the season anyway. All year we have been concentrating on this season.

"We have not been looking forward to next season or the season afterwards.

"You don't get three or four-year contracts at other clubs like you might have done a few years ago. My mates at other clubs only sign one-year deals or two years if they are lucky. Football has changed in that way."

Skipper Darren Edmondson was similarly delighted.

He said: "All the meetings we had this time last year were all doom and gloom, we weren't getting paid and we weren't sure about the future. So to get a meeting like this and to be told what we have been told is fantastic.

"This is going to be brilliant for morale, especially for the lads that were here last year who are still deferring money because of what happened.

"It's obviously a brilliant lift for us and the new lads that have come in who have only been able to sign short-term contracts have now got the chance to show the manager they are good enough to have long-term deals."

City's captain - also the club's rep for the Professional Footballers' Association - hoped the behind-the-scenes success will rub off on to the field.

He added: "All the fans will obviously be buzzing about it, the board are now buzzing about it so it's up to us to keep this feel-good factor alive and get us in the play-offs.

"I'd just like to thank the board on behalf of all the players for all the work they've done and hopefully we can repay their faith in us."

Centre-back Richard Hope, who earlier in the season said that he would love to sign a long-term contract if the opportunity arose, added: "It's brilliant news.

"It's been hard so far this season but this news is different class and I think all the players would prefer to stay at Bootham for the football side of things, so it's worked out really well."

- York City's Pontin's League game at home to Grimsby today was called off because of a water-logged pitch.

Champion news

TELEVISION and radio commentator and long-time City fan Jon Champion said it was the best news he has heard in ages.

He said: "It's fantastic. That is magnificent. There has been so much depressing news in the last two-and-a-half years, it is so nice to hear something so positive for a change.

"As someone who went to Shipton Street school at the back of the David Longhurst stand and saw my first professional football match there, it is fantastic to know that professional football is going to be played at its rightful place.

"Massive credit to the people at the Supporters' Trust and the club board who have been able to do the negotiations with someone in Douglas Craig who is not the easiest man to deal with. It shows a lot for their powers of negotiation and also conciliation.

"I'm coming to York later anyway, but will have a definite spring in my step now."

Updated: 13:56 Wednesday, February 04, 2004